Australia
Union solida
Timor Australian trade unions unions are starting to discuss solidarity with the East Timorese nation's fight to decide its own future, writes Jon Land.
At the end of April, aircraft maintenance workers' delegates at the Qantas Jet Base in Sydney resolved to hold a stop-work meeting to consider refusing to work on Indonesian aircraft when the first such plane requests servicing.
The Northern Territories Trades and Labor Council voted to support East Timorese self-determination and a transition to independence. It applauded the East Timorese people's perseverance in their struggle, and called for the immediate disarming of the Indonesian army sponsored militia, the release of all East Timorese political prisoners and the withdrawal of the Indonesian troops by a United Nations monitoring body.
been internally displaced by the prointegration groups' attacks. "In the first three months of 1999, there were at least 40 dead, 22 wounded, eight illegal detentions, and two women raped by militia."
If there is to be peace and self-determination in East Timor, there must be a significant increase in international support for the East Timorese independence struggle. We also need more solidarity with those organisations within Indonesia that support independence for East Timor, such as the People's Democratic Party. And concerted opposition to the despicable policies of the allies of the Habibie regime, such as the Howard government in Australia. * Green Left Weekly, May 5, 1999 rity with
The resolution also condemned the Australian government's response, and demanded an immediate suspension of all military ties and withdrawal of Australia's de jure recognition of Indonesian sovereignty over East Timor. It called on "all unions and the ACTU to immediately impose economic bans on all trade and commercial enterprises related to Indonesia", and proposed to offer support as requested by the East Timorese to rebuild their lives.
Unions in the state of Victoria unions are discussing cutting postal, telecommunication, airline and shipping links. Leigh Hubbard, secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council, said the unions hoped to play "one small part in building public pressure, public debate [and] public awareness" about the Howard government's support for the repressive Indonesian regime.
On April 30 the Australian
Schools project
A primary school curriculum in
Timor's main language, Tetum, is being developed with the support of APHEDA, the aid wing of the
Australian Congress of Trade
Unions. Other projects include trade union development, community health, and capacity building for NGOs in East Timor. *
ACTU/APHEDA East Timor Appeal, Box 3, Trades Hall, 4
Goulborn St, Sydney 2000, NSW, Australia. For credit card donations © 1300 362223, fax 02 92611118,
Email <[email protected]>, www.apheda.org.au Confederation of Trade Unions endorsed industrial action by its affiliates to protest against the violence of the Indonesian army and its militia against the East Timorese.
In the past, the Australian trade union movement voiced support for East Timorese self-determination but ignored the complicity of Labor governments (under Whitlam, Hawke and Keating) in Indonesia's occupation of East Timor. This seems to be changing.
Australian unions' active solidarity will be an enormous aid the East Timorese people's struggle.
Organised workers are in a unique position to bring pressure to bear on the Australian government (Indonesia's principle imperialist backer) to withdraw all support for the occupation of East Timor.
The active participation of rank and file union members in the solidarity campaign will provide important opportunities to educate many more Australian workers about the issues involved. These include the record of all Australian political parties on this question, the role of Australian big business interests in East Timor, and the centrality of internationalism in defending all working people's rights.
Solidarity actions will also allow members to experience the power of collective action by workers and help the unions build alliances with others in Australia and overseas who actively support the democratic rights of the East Timorese.
But union leaders must do more than "endorse" solidarity actions by individual unions. They must actively promote and provide resources for the broadest possible solidarity action by unions and their members. *
International Viewpoint #312 June 1999. 29
* New Zealand